This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, offers analysis, commentary, and reportage about the $4.9 billion project to build the Barclays Center arena and 16 high-rise buildings at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland Group bought a 70% stake in 15 towers. New York State still calls it Atlantic Yards. Contact: AtlanticYardsReport[at]hotmail.com

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Get ready for the real Dean Street squeeze--which could have some Barclays Center event goers crossing in the middle of the block to access the arena entrance on Dean.

Starting the night of tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 5, Forest City Ratner will begin implementing traffic and pedestrian barriers--aka Maintenance and Protection of Traffic (MPT)-- and a construction logistics area needed for the construction of the B2 residential tower at Dean and Flatbush Avenue.

And that means the pedestrian passageway in front of the construction site, already bulging out into the street, will be only five feet wide, for perhaps 18 months. Such a narrow path alarmed some residents at a community meeting last week.

Next to it, eastbound Dean Street will be squeezed to just one 12-foot lane, accommodating buses, construction deliveries, and even the no longer separated bike lane.

New pedestrian paths?

I suspect that the upshot, as indicated by the red arrows I've added to the maps (part of the latest Atlantic Yards Construction Alert, below), is that pedestrians on Flatbush will avoid the narrow passageway when crowded, and instead will choose the opposite sidewalk, on the south side of Dean Street.

And that suggests that some of those aiming for the Dean Street doors--and leaving after events--will be crossing mid-block.

The schematic indicated below, in which the Flatbush sidewalk will narrow to six feet, should persist for nine months, during construction of the foundation. The bus stop on the south side of Dean east of Flatbush will be relocated at the end of the block, near Sixth Avenue.

Phase 1 annotations (arrows in red) by AYR

Also happening this week, according to the announcement, are
• Initial excavation equipment mobilization in support of the December 18, 2012 Ground Breaking ceremony.
• Mobilization of temporary electrical and staging materials for schedule Ground Breaking.

Phase 2

There was no time indicated for the second phase, Module Erection, but it should take less than a year.